Posted on September 4th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Downfall (Der Untergang) – Director Oliver Hirschbiegel Hitler and the Holocaust occupy a unique moral space. The man and his deeds are somehow off the scale of our normal judgement of right and wrong. Even beyond the grave, his charismatic spirit exercises in equal measure both a terrible fascination and deep repugnance in us. […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Oliver Hirshcbiegel, Philosophical, Political, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 3rd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet American Gangster – Ridley Scott Sentimentalising gangsters and fetishising guns are twin cancers at the heart of American culture. Each feeds off the other to create a moral landscape that can be obscenely equivocal and cumulatively corrupting. I have been corrupted enough over the years to enjoy the tension and excitement of conflict in […]
Filed under: 2 star, Action, Detective, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Ridley Scott | No Comments »
Posted on September 3rd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Jarhead – Sam Mendes (BBC Prize-winning Review) Paradox: we regard $80 million dollars (say) to recreate the horrors of war in a fictional setting as morally acceptable but would be outraged if the same scenes were shown from actual footage shot in reality. Worse in a way, we accept millions of dollars as a […]
Filed under: *BBC Prize Reviews*, 3 star, Action, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Sam Mendes, War | No Comments »
Posted on September 1st, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Heartbeat Detector (La Question Humaine) – Nicolas Klotz Challenging, austere, masterly. That’s me. Drivel, pompous, dire. Those are some other comments – mostly from punters rather than critics it must be said. For me, if you take cinema, film, as an art form capable of the expression of profound ideas and deep emotions, […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Nicolas Klotz, Philosophical, Political, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Posted on August 20th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Caché (Hidden) – Michael Haneke (contains spoilers – plot elements revealed) Few recent films reward a second viewing more than Haneke’s justly praised Caché (Hidden). I caught it again at one of the Curzon (Mayfair and Soho) excellent midday Sunday bills. Its current release on video makes it even more widely available. Highly recommended, […]
Filed under: 5 stars, Drama, Europe/World cinema, General, Michael Haneke, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on August 19th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Factotum – Bent Hamer Factotum is a quantum movie. Or rather in its efforts to depict the chaotic life of radical writer Charles Bukowski’s autobiographical alter ego Henry Chinaski, the paradoxes and inherent uncertainties of quantum theory seem an apt metaphor. Hank, like Bukowski is a dedicated alcoholic drifting indifferently through any odd jobs […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Bent Hamer, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on August 14th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet A Scanner Darkly – Richard Linklater (BBC Prize Review with philosophical coda) Consciousness is the last mystery. It is the holy grail of brain scientists and K2 to philosophers. If consciousness is the substance of this mystery, personal identity is its form. The conceptual, even spiritual, genesis of Philip K Dick’s book upon which […]
Filed under: *BBC Prize Reviews*, 4 stars, Animation, Extended essay, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political, Richard Linklater | No Comments »
Posted on August 3rd, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet The Dark Knight – Christopher Nolan “Do I look like a man with a plan?” The Joker (Heath Ledger). British Director Christopher Nolan, courtesy of brother Jonathon’s screenplay has taken the hackneyed Batman franchise and turned it into classical myth. It is by far the most philosophical of the Batman movies and I doubt […]
Filed under: 5 stars, Action, Christopher Nolan, Drama, General, Hollywood, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on July 29th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Farenheit 9/11 – Michael Moore Fahrenheit is a devastating, important film. It is passionate, partisan and manipulative; at times queasily so. But Moore knows his business: his treatment of the events of 9/11 is masterly; restricting himself to black screen for the impacts, then concentrating on human reactions. This way he evokes images indelibly […]
Filed under: 4 stars, Documentary, General, Hollywood, Michael Moore, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
Posted on July 29th, 2008 by Zettel Film Reviewer
Tweet Notre Musique – Director Jean-Luc Godard If you love film – see this. If ideas engage you – see this. If you believe language and poetry embrace more than words – don’t miss this. Notre Musique shows a master film-maker on top of his game. Most people who know film, have a Godard movie […]
Filed under: 5 stars, Documentary, Europe/World cinema, Jean-Luc Godard, Philosophical, Political | No Comments »
